weems



(No Model.)

' D. G. WEBMS.

RAILWAY.

No. 406,802. Patented July 9, 1889.

N PETERS. PhoLlhogmpber. Washinglm. D.C. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.DAVID G. WEEMS, OE' BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRO- AUTOMATIO TRANSIT COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,802, dated July 9, 1889.

Application filed December 28, 1888. Serial No. 294,889. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID G. WEEMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improve- Inents in Railways, of which the following is a full and clear descriptiomreference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which the figure represents a view taken transversely through the rails and stringers, and showing an end view of a car or carrier adapted to travel thereon.

My invention relates to certain improvements in railways, and especially in the rails thereof; and the same consists, essentially, in providing or forming the rail with an upper tread or bearing-surface and a laterally-extending flange having a tread or surface upon which independent wheels or series of wheels travel.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now describe its construction and indicate the manner in which the same is carried out.

In the said drawing, A represents a suitable road bed or frame, having the longitudinal stringers or beams B, upon which the rails are laid. These rails O are angular in crosssection, and are cach formed or provided with an upper tread or bearing-surface o and a lower laterally-prog ecting arm or bearing-surface b. The rails are spiked or bolted to the upper inner corners of the stringers or longitudinal beams, their inner angular corners adapting them to be closely tted to the inner corners of the stringers or beams, as shown, and, if desired, the under surface of that portion of the rail which lies upon the top of the Stringer may be formed with a longitudinal rib b', which is driven or fitted into a groove in the top surface of said stringer or beam, whereby said rail is more securely held and the danger of the rails spreading reduced to a minimum.

It is understood that the rails thus described are adapted for any well-known form of vehicle or carrier; but as the danger of said vehicle or carrier jumping the track, especially when rounding curves, is well known, I deem it essential to utilize the under surface of the projecting flange b of said rail as a bearingsurfaoe for other wheels, which, by engaging the under surface of the said arm, prevents the objectionable and often dangerous results above mentioned, as I shall hereinafter describe.

The carrier or vehicle C whichI prefer to use in connection with my improved rail is provided with the usual bearing-wheels D, which are designed to travel upon the upper surface of the horizontal arm a, and within the frame of the carrier is mounted, in any suitable manner, one or more `shafts or axles D', upon the outer ends of which are mounted wheels d, as shown; or, if preferred, any other suitable rolling or sliding friction bearing or stop may be employed.

In the gur I illustrate the wheels d as being located slightly below the under surface of the vertical arm of the rails, and these wheels are intended to come into engagement with the lower bearing-surface or track, when the centrifugal force incident to the rapid travel of the vehicle or carrier in rounding curves tends to lift the main bearing-wheel from the track and thereby derail the vehicle.

It will be readily seen upon an examination of the drawing that as soon as the main bearing-wheels are lifted from their track or surface the underlying wheels d are likewise lifted into contact with the contiguous bearing surface or track, and thereby overcome the tendency of the carrier leaving the rails or track.

The rails, it will be observed, may be readily rolled, and they may be lreversed when one surface is worn to any considerable extent, in which case the vertical armo becomes the horizontal arm, the inner surface of the rail (in the first instance) being now utilized as the track or bearing-surface for the main wheels, the outer -side of the rail serving as the bearing for the lower or supplemental wheels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a car having bear- IOO arm c, having a laterally-projecting flange b, the lower under surface of which serves as a track or surface for the other wheels d, the said wheels d being normally slightly below the Vertical arm of the rail and being brought into contact with its lower bearing-surface when the main wheels D attempt to leave their track or surface, substantially as herein described.

DAVID G. VEEMS. Witnesses:

WM. M. PEGRAM, GEO. B. MICHAEL. 

